A corpora



' March 13, 1928.

' A. E. WEINGARTNER SIFTINGS DUMP FOR STOKERS Filed Feb. 6. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet l Patented Mar. 13, 1928.

UNITED STATES.

ANTHONY E. WEINGARTNER, OF BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T AMERI- CAN ENGINEERING COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORA- TION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

. SIFTINGS DUMP FOR STOKERS.

Application filed February 6, 1923. Serial No. 617,295.

In automatic stokers such as those of the inclined underfeed' type there is usually found a space or chamber at the lower rear part of the stoker, in front of the ash pocket I and below the real-ends of the tuyeres and retorts. Under operating conditions fine coal particles and finely divided ash sif'ts into and collects in this chamber, from which it has been necessary to remove it at intervals, and one object therefore of my invention is to provide a relatively simple,.convenient and easily operated device for dumping or allowing the escape of the siftings so collecting.

Another object of my inventionis to providea stoker which shall have a chamber in front of its ash pocket so formed as to include a plurality of receptacles or hoppers having openings through which material may flow under the action of gravity or may be forcibly delivered into the ash pit of the stoker, together with a series of valves and novel means for actuating the same whereby said outlets may be opened or closed at will without interfering with the normal operation of the stoker.

These objects and other advantageous ends I attain as hereinafter set forth, reference being had'to the accompanying drawings, in which, g

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the rear portion of aninclined underfeed stoker, showing my invention as applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2, Fig. 1, further illustrating my invention; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section of one of the valves. In the above drawings, 1 represents the rear wall of a boiler setting equipped in the case illustrated with an inclined underfeed stoker having a series of inclined.

trunk 7.

The top faces of the reciprocating grate 6 are downwardly and rearwardly inclined and below them is a substantially vertical curtaln structure 8 coacting with the wall 1 to define the upper portion of a relatively deep, transversely extending ash pocket whose lower portions are defined by two series of hinged or pivotally mounted plates 9 and 10 mounted below and in continuation of the furnace wall 1 and the curtain 8 respectively. These two series of plates are inclined toward each other and in the space between their lower edges are mounted two toothed crushing and ash delivery rolls 11 and 12 constituting the bottom of the ash pocket 13. Said rollers normally support a body of ash and clinkers in the latter from which, when they are rotated, it may be delivered to the ash pit let of thestoker.

The curtain 8 is preferably formed of a series of overlapping plates 8 each of which has at its upper end a hook extension 15 designed to enter suitable openings in a frame structure 16 carried on one of the main beams or girders 17 of the stoker frame. In the present instance there is a second girder or beam 18 in front of and above the girder 17 serving to support the rear or innermost ends of the tuyeres and their associated parts. From the lower part of this second girder to the upper part of the girder 17 a plate or partition 19 extends and a suitable floor structure 20 is likewise provided between the rear side of the beam 17 and the loweredge of the curtain 8. The curtain 8, partition 19 and floor structure 20 thus constitute a closed chamber immediately in front of said girder and in this chamber accumulate fine coal particles, dust and fine ash which passes from the ash pocket 13 through openings in the curtain 8 and the parts adjacent thereto. Coal as well as ash siftings also enters under the dead plate 5 and between the reciprocable members 6, through and between the grate bars which make up said members 6.

For the purpose of discharging these siftings, the floor structure 20 is made to include or consist of a series of hopper-like pans or plates whose sides converge toward circular outlet openings 21 so placed as to deliver material into the ash pit 14. These plates or pans are preferably carried on brackets 22 projecting parallel with each other and rearwardly from the girder 17 towhich they highly objectionable accumulation.

that the detail means for supporting the floor structure is immaterial. Each ofthe outlets 21 is normally closed by a suitable valveelement 23 suspended by a chain or other flexible connection 24: from a shaft 25. Each of the valves is preferably formed with a spherical lower face so that it will properly seat on the edges of and enclose the circular opening 21 in one of the pans or plates of the floor structure 20, and the arrangement is such that when the shaft 25 is turned, the

chains 24 are wound thereon so that the valves 28 may be raised or unseated.

As will be noted from Fig. 2, the frame structure 16 on which is carried the curtain 8, includes or comprises a series of parallel plate-like structures 26 extendingin parallel vertical planes at right angles to said-curtain. The shaft 25 may if desired be journaled in these structures through which it passes and have one end extended through the side wall 27 of the furnace or boiler setting. This outer end in the present instance has mounted upon it a sprocket wheel 28 connected. by a sprocket chain 29 with a toothed wheel 80 whose diameter is greater than that of the sprocket 28. Said wheel is equipped with a radially extending operating arm, 31, whereby it may be turned through an angle of 180 for example when it is desired to dumpthe ashes or dust collected in theehamber 32 above referred to. Such turning of the hand wheel 30 through the chain 29 causes the shaft 25 to make two or more revolutions, thus winding thereon the-chains or flexible members 3% and unseating the valves 23. The dust or ashes which have accumulated on the plates of the floor structure 20 is thereupon discharged intot-he ash pit, after which the turning of the wheel 30 in the reverse direction will permit the valves 23 to'again seat on the edges of the openings 21.

It will be understood that the siftings above referred to is in finely divided form so that it will usually flow through the openings 21 under the action of gravity, thus permitting of the easy removal of what has hitherto been found to be troublesome and If desired forced draft or air under pressure may be used with this type of furnace to force the siftings out when the valves are opened.

material such as felt which will co-act with the relatively sharp edges of the opening 21 to make a; substantially air-tight joint between each of the valves and its seat, in-

the structure 20. c

I claim: 1 1. The combination in a stoker having tuyeres, a stationary curtain structure and:

an ash pit; of a transversely extending collecting chamber disposed below the tuyeresand to one side of said-stationary curtain structure, having a series of outlets opening into'the ash pit; a series of valvesnormally closing said outlets; air operating slia ftextending through the chamber and projectin}; at one side of the stoker; flexible members connecting said shaft with the valves;

and means for turning the shaftat will to unseat the valves and permit the discharge i of material from the chamber-into the 'ash pit.

2. The combination in a stokerhaving tuyeres, a stationary curtainstructure-and an ash pit; of a transversely extending col lecting chamber disposed below the tuyeres and to one side 'of saidstationary curtain structure, said chamber having a series of? hopper-like outlets opening into the ash pit;

a series ofsphericallycurved valvesnormally closing said outlets; an 'o crating shaft extending through-thech'am er and projecting at one side of the Stoker; flexible members connecting said shaft with the valves; means for turning the shaft at will to unseat the valves and permit thedischarge-of material from the chamber into the ashpit; a conduit for deliveringair nuclei-"pressure to the stoker; and a connection fromsaid c0nduit to said chamber for causing the foreible delivery of material "from the chamber.

ANTHONY E. WEI NGARTNE R 

